Bihar Election: Nitish Kumar Sparks Controversy After Trying to Garland Female NDA Candidate in Muzaffarpur

Bihar Election: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday triggered fresh speculation over his mental health and conduct during an election rally in the Meenapur constituency of Muzaffarpur district. The incident occurred when the JD(U) supremo insisted on garlanding a female NDA candidate, despite his close aide’s attempt to stop him on stage.

The 75-year-old leader, who launched his assembly poll campaign, left the audience surprised — and amused — after mispronouncing the names of local candidates, including JD(U)’s Ajay Kushwaha and BJP’s Rama Nishad, adding the prefix “Shri” before the latter’s name.

During his speech, Nitish Kumar declared, “If the public promises to vote for the NDA, I will personally place garlands around the necks of our candidates as a mark of assured victory.”

VIDEO | Muzaffarpur: “Gazab aadmi hai", Bihar CM Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) to JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha after he stopped him from garlanding BJP candidate Rama Nishad during a rally.#BiharElection2025 #BiharElectionsWithPTI

(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/ZPDHIwibKP

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 21, 2025

As he moved forward to garland Rama Nishad, who recently joined the BJP, the candidate appeared visibly uncomfortable. Kumar’s close aide Sanjay Kumar Jha, JD(U)’s working president, quickly tried to intervene and prevent the awkward moment by holding the Chief Minister’s hand.

However, sensing that Kumar was displeased with the interruption, Jha stepped back. The Chief Minister reportedly remarked, “You are a strange man,” before proceeding to place the garland around Nishad’s neck.

The unusual moment was caught on camera and quickly went viral on social media platforms. Opposition leaders seized the opportunity to question Kumar’s mental state and leadership behavior.

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav shared the video clip on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, writing: “He is a strange man indeed. If he is in sound mental health, why is he reading out from a written speech and indulging in such behaviour?”

The incident has reignited debates in Bihar’s political circles about Nitish Kumar’s age, leadership style, and his fitness to lead the state amid the upcoming assembly elections.